How far can you go to love someone unknown?

I'm sure this question strikes a chord in the mind of anyone who has ever received love - love from a partner, love from a mother, love from a friend... However, sometimes, one may often go really far (read as metaphorically) to love someone whom you don't even know yet, to love someone whom you have not even touched yet, to love someone whom you have not even seen yet- to love your unborn kid!!! Don't you think that a woman has to go really far to get closer to this 'someone', who is yet to be born. I say so because every woman has to cross a huge distance in her head trying to endure all kinds of physical discomfort and pain (even the thought of labor pain brings me a tic!!!), put a hold on some of her career aspirations, overcome her deepest fears, accept some permanent bodily changes, fight with the biological clock, etc.

Indeed, a woman goes very far to come closer to this 'someone' - who is yet to be born!

 I have tried to express this thought through a poem that highlights how far a woman has to go physically and emotionally to get closer to this 'someone', who is yet to be born.

(This poem brings out the thought process of a woman who has just discovered about her pregnancy and the things that she has to confront in her head!!!)

I have been over thinking about it...
Chewing every piece bit by bit...
The news was a shock, I will admit...
But come what may, I will not quit!!!

At 31, I guess I'm already late...
'Responsibility' is a word with lot of weight...
More of check-ups and less of dinner dates?
Priorities will alter, I reinstate...

Career is now a Sand-clock put at rest...
No salary cheque, put me at test...
I'm very worried, I will confess...
My peers will progress, while I rest...

My body has started to change...
The perfect size zero is up for exchange...
I'm definitely different, at close range...
Accepting it will no more be strange...

Labor pain equals twenty fractures?
More difficult than being Margaret Thatcher...
Why is it so difficult to manufacture?
Trying to think, but can't capture...

Fun now will be, Sports day > Sky Diving
Books now will be, Ronald Dahl > Ayn Ryand
Money now will be, Savings > Spending
'But' life now will be more beautiful and fulfilled...

I smile in peace finally...
Trusting the higher force reliably...
All will be good, I think silently...
And I will be only bright and lively...

I will dedicate this blog particularly to all those women who have and who will undergo this difficult journey. The good thing is that with a loving and caring partner, this journey becomes a bit easier. I know of one such lovely couple- Sumeet and Chetna (http://bit.ly/1epU8Uj) and I wish them only the bestest best :)

~Cheers

Hena

If I could plan a travel itinerary!

Travelling is more than just another time-off from routine. Indeed, travel could be a great medium to learn/teach some of the most complex lessons of life.

Someday in life, I wish to plan a travel itinerary for my kids that could acquaint them with such complex but beautiful lessons of life - The power of oneness, gratefulness, sacrifice, nation's pride, community, hope and diversity. But, c'mon we are talking about kids. Bitter medicines are given to them with chocolates! So, would add some fun & entertainment as well to this life trip too. After all, glossy packaging works well all the time. My trip, that spans across 2 countries (trying to leverage the best of both the worlds!), is planned in such a manner that, my kids learn a different lesson with every passing destination.

So here goes the planned trip for life:

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Take a local taxi to India Gate for the late evening (because that's precisely when India Gate looks like a stunning bride).

1. Sweet Home - India Gate, New Delhi - Tighten your seatbelts to get a concentrated shot of 'Patriotism'!

No. of days: 0.5

Each time I take a walk towards India Gate, my heart is filled with all the possible shades of National pride and I'm left remembering the sacrifices of the brave Indian soldiers. Even today, I do try to read the names of the soldiers inscribed on the tall structure. No better feeling than raising one's head to reach out to Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal soldier). Hopefully, my kids too experience a similar pride for their nation as me. Add some colorful chuski (ice candies) to this destination to give it a perfect finish!

Lesson learnt: Experience patriotic love and remember the sacrifice of those soldiers who laid their lives for 'our' good.

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Take an overnight bus from Delhi to Agra!

2. Taj Mahal, Agra - Welcome aboard to be left awe-struck by the marvel of Human creation! Welcome to the land of love!

No. of days: 1

15,000 visitors everyday!!! This can't be missed for sure. Appreciation is good! And this is where my kids will be compelled to appreciate the finest work of its time that stands tall as a beautiful symbol of passionate love. I'm awe-struck just by the thought, imagine about the actual experience. The famous Agra 'petha' (a translucent soft candy) will be our all-time dessert over the remaining trip. Couldn't get any better!

Lesson learnt: Learn the art of appreciation and remember that there are no boundaries for the creative mind!

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Take a cab from Agra to Vrindavan!

3. Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh - Gear up to experience the 'Power of faith'! Welcome to the land of Lord Krishna!

No. of days: 1

With hundreds of temples in this tiny land and temples dated back to even 1542, this place is a tall example of the 'Power of faith' which can be seen all around - through every devotees' eyes that are filled with the love for their lord, through every devotees' lips that chant 'Radhey Radhey', through every devotees' busy fingers with Japa mala. (Is a set of 108 wooden beads used for keeping count while reciting, chanting or mentally repeating a mantra).

However, let's not forget that indeed, Vrindavan is home to thousands of widows too that live on arms which usually go as low as Rs. 10 a day. Their life is a living hell with no one to rely on, except their own fragile old bodies. Seeing these widows, one is compelled to be grateful in life, to say 'thank you for everything', at least once in a blue moon.

Lessons learnt: Faith (not necessarily in god, but faith in anything) is very powerful and can be channelized in the right direction. Also, being grateful for everything makes one more content in life.

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Take a train from UP to Chennai and from there, take a cab to Pondicherry.

4. Auroville, Pondicherry - A universal city in the making

No. of days: 2

A living example of the idea of a community comprising of people from 45 nations, from all age groups, belonging to all social classes, coming from different backgrounds & cultures that together represent humanity as a whole. This is the place where the idea of service and humanity takes precedence over everything else. A beautiful yet tall example of 'unity in diversity'. It's not a bad idea to try one's hand at veganism here too!

Lessons learnt: Nothing beats the idea of Community love and service!

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Take a cab back to Chennai, from there fly to San Francisco.

5. San Francisco, USA - The Hill City of the US

No. of days: 3

Time to appreciate the delicate inter-play between man and nature! The cable car (the only moving National Historic Monument in the world) drive over the crookedest streets in the world , Lombard Street, and cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge surely will be an enthralling experience. Pack this up with architectural marvels of this earthquake city - Transamerica Pyramid, 555 California Street, Russ Building, Shell Building, Fairmont Hotel Tower, San Francisco City Hall, Ferry Building and the list goes on. Being in SFO, one gets a feeling as if the entire city is out for a run, like literally! Add summer fogs to the package to make it complete!

Lessons learnt: A building has integrity just like a man. And just as seldom. - Ayn Ryand

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Take a bus from SFO to LA.

6. Los Angeles, USA - World's entertainment center

No. of days: 3

Well, I have another name for it too, the City where a lot of magic lies! Why magic? What else will you call a city with Disneyland, Hollywood, Madame Tussauds, Griffith Observatory, Dolby Theatre and I can go on adding! The churros are your pals throughout, especially when lazing around some of the most beautiful beaches like Santa Monika! Walking past the Rodeo Drive, I envision my kids tasting 'luxury' in its totality, thereby inspiring them to work harder in life to get the best from the world. Of course, we'll have the Shirley Temple here too.

Lessons learnt: Fun is important too!        - Anonymous

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Take a bus from LA to San Diego.

7. San Diego, USA - The 'original' Sea World land!!!

No. of days: 2

Here comes the cherry on the top! San Diego's Sea World. The trip could not have ended at anything better! Can't ask for more than a warm greeting by Shamu, trained sea lions & dolphins. To mention the least, the huge aquariums and sea shows are simply stunning! My kids are sure to be lured by this one! Pack this all with an interesting opportunity to pet these beautiful creatures.

Lessons learnt: Fun should never stop!        - Anonymous

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Take a flight back home from San Diego.

Return back to sweet home!

No. of days: The counting continues until the next life's trip...

Lessons learnt: Don't forget the above learnt lessons...

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This itinerary required a lot of planning both within and outside the country. I have to credit http://www.yatra.com for making my task so much easier by helping me book my flights, hotels, bus, etc. 

Change could begin with a small 'Chat'!

And it happened again. Once again! One more time in the series of many... An heinous act! R.A.P.E.! But...

This time something was different...For the first time, people of this country woke up. For the first time, India saw its streets filled with protestors screaming for Justice... Justice for Jyoti! For the first time, it was evident how frustrated we have become, so much so, that we have come down to suggesting barbaric solutions like - Brutal death for the rapists! And it is so ironical because we are a country that taught the world about our non-violence methods!
These are the first signs of a new born India - that refuses to shut her eyes when something wrong happens!

But the big question is that why were we not able to achieve much even after all these protests? I guess, something indeed remained missing... A Leader -  someone who would  bring in that missing sense of direction. This is exactly what Bapu (aka Mahatma Gandhi) did 66 years back! He brought new methods, new hope, new will and new zeal.

I truly believe that had Gandhi been alive today, India would have had a better sight, a better hearing ability, a better gait and a much better overall health.

Having said that, if I could connect with five or more people in a WeChat group, my WeChat friends will be:

• Jyoti: The 16th Dec, 2012 Rape Victim through her Blackberry Curve
• Priya: Jyoti's dear friend through her iPhone5
• Jai: A concerned citizen and Priya's father through his Samsung S4
• Mahatma Gandhi (aka Bapu) through the web
• Munna Bhai through his Nokia Lumia 925

Chat Group called 'Best friends' | Chat buddies are Jyoti & Priya

16th Dec, 2012

Jyoti: This pain is unbearable! Brutality has been redefined today. I want to fight back. Fight back really hard... I want justice at any cost!!! And I know this is possible! I know my pain won't all go in vain... But how?

Priya: Jyoti, we will fight back. We will fight for your justice! This all will not go in vain. I assure you!

Jyoti: But, what can you and me do alone? How can we change things?

Priya invites her Dad in the Chat Group | Jai added to the group

Jai: Jyoti, my sympathies for you. I wish I could help you in any way! I just saw this - The United States Government, has granted Jyoti, the 2013 International Women of Courage Award | http://1.usa.gov/13BkRgp

Jyoti: I don't want any awards or titles or laws named after me. I just want Justice!  

Priya: Dad, I'm scared to be in this country now - the land of heroes that once fought for their women! I feel disgusted to the core!

Jai: Enough is enough! I have decided that you will have to be back home by 7:00 PM every day. 

Priya: Dad, stop being ridiculous. My work involves a lot of travel. I can't alter my career aspirations, just because I can be raped! Rape can happen anytime, at any place! 

Jai: I have decided Priya. You're not working anymore!

Priya shares a picture of Kiran Mazumdar Shaw 

Priya: Dad, I want to be like her. Please don't cut my wings before I take-off.

Jyoti: Uncle, sitting home is not the solution!

Jai: As a concerned and scared father, my wits are not with me.!!!

Priya shares a beautiful video on Gandhi.

Jyoti invites Mahatma Gandhi (aka Bapu)  in the Chat Group | Bapu added to the group

Priya: Bapu, help us! We need you back!

Bapu: I feel so disheartened. I regret the freedom that was granted to us 66 years back! Shameful indeed!

Jai: Bapu, we need your advice. We need another 'Freedom Movement' - freedom from all the evils of our country. Guide us Bapu...

Bapu: Many people consider my principles as irrelevant today. They feel that my ideas hold no ground in today's times...

Jai: Bapu, your principles hold as much weight today, as they did 66 years back. Since our independence, we have been a witness of so many events that have been inspired by your guiding principles!

Jyoti: To start with - The Anna Hazare movement in 2011....

Jai: And the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011...

Priya: The Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize-winner Rigoberta Menchu all have credited you Bapu as their guiding force!

Jai: The Palestinians' boycott of Israeli products in 2009! And the list goes on!

Jyoti: There is no denying the fact that we need you! Bapu, tell us, how can we influence our  Govt. to work towards a speedy justice for me?

Bapu invites Munna Bhai in the Chat Group | Munna Bhai added to the group

Bapu: Munna, in you, I see the next 'Gandhi'. Stand for your country this time. I have faith in your abilities to suggest a breakthrough idea!!!

Munna: Bapu, our state is in shatters! It is futile to talk about  a solution. I'm extremely disappointed and can't think of any solution!

Bapu: Munna, how could you lose hope so easily? If the youth of this country gives up so easily, then who will bring that revolution? Once again, we need a Kranti! This country can't afford any more pessimism!

Munna: Bapu, I have tried to do many things but all in vain. I don't think this could get any worse! We all should forget it and move on in our lives!

Jyoti: And what about my JUSTICE?

Jai: We have already wasted a lot of time in complaining. Let's get to serious work!

Jai shares a Video to inspire Munna Bhai.

Bapu: Munna, are you with us this time?

Munna: You all are so right! We can't afford to be pessimistic at all. We will have to fight back harder and  harder each time... The onus is now on the citizens of this country to do something immediately...

Jai: So the task in hand is to compel our Govt. to act speedily!

Priya: Setting up fast track courts is not enough!  We want justice right now!

Jyoti: Justice delayed is justice denied!

Jai shares the National anthem 

Priya: Each time I listen to this, my heart fills with immense pride!

Priya: Jyoti, the entire country is literally on streets, demanding justice for Jyoti!

Jai: But, that's not enough! We need to think of something more tangible!

Munna: I have an idea - an idea that will force the Govt. to act...

Bapu: This country has always stood for its non-violence principles. Hope your solution takes care of this fact Munna!

Munna: Yes Bapu! I won't suggest any barbaric suggestions like publicly hang the rapists! Because that really serves no purpose...

Priya: Then?

Munna: It's time that India understands how important women are!

Jai: What are you suggesting?

Munna: How about this? - Until the Govt. really wakes up, all are working women stop going to work!!! This will affect these woman, especially if they are the only bread winners for their families! So, for such women, monetary support should be brought in from other fellow citizens!

Jai: You mean "No Work, until No Security for Women!"

Jai: Will that work?

Bapu: Why NOT?

Munna: Nurses, doctors, corporate, cleaning maids, pilots, students, flight attendants, teachers, parliament MPs, govt. jobs... You name it and women are there!

Priya: You bet! This will paralyze the economy and force the govt to act.

Munna: Yes, 32% of all economically active workforce are women in our country.

Jai: 1/3rd of our working class???

Priya: Yes Dad! This will cripple  the system such that the govt. is forced to act!

Munna: Just like, how after the Rosa Parks incident in Montgomery, blacks refused to use the public buses for work. The US Govt. was forced to amend the laws.

Jyoti: Great suggestion Munna!

Priya: I second Jyoti...

Jai: Let's do it!

Munna: Let's go and convince every working woman from different realms of society to cooperate! To join us in our mission!

Priya: I volunteer to be the first such woman!

Jai: I will support my daughter in all ways possible!

Bapu: Munna you will have to reach out to the masses for maximum impact!

Munna: Bapu, Don't worry! In today's era, we can reach out to more and more people with less effort through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube....

Priya: Let's all of us get started immediately!

Bapu sends a Thumbs up symbol

Jai sends a picture 

Bapu: Another Mission is born today! Remember, Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

Munna: Together we can, and we will, make a difference!

Jyoti: I hope that this mission of ours help us to get justice not just for me, but all our women who have been tormented in the past  - Aruna Shanbaug, Soumya, Bhanwari Devi, Suryanelli rape case...and the list goes on!

Priya: Let's try to keep each of us well informed of all our Mission's updates through this Chat forum!

I wish this chat could be possible today. It could have made a difference! To know more about how such chats are possible, please visit:

It's a bitch to grow up!!!

Alanis Morissette's song 'It's a bitch to grow up' has been echoing in my mind for almost 2 months... Well, the obvious question.. why for last 2 months? Well, I'm straight out of college and have started staying in Hyderabad for my new job... Life seems to go as per the plan.. no real reasons to complaint really exist because I'm precisely doing what I have always wanted to do (to be paid for playing games and spending time on Facebook) i.e. exploring life my way in a new city with new people with a different kind of job... Well, I have used the word 'new' quite a number of times in one simple sentence.. Yeah, I have some personal issues with this word 'new'... In other words, I am newphobic indeed, whereby I feel suffocated with newness all around.. In this case, I'm being my own doctor and I'm sure I will find a way around this phobia as everything is eventually about time...

Well, apart from bringing my newphobia at the surface, these 2 months have been instrumental in the discovery of some other things too that revolve around the process of 'Growing up'.. The process of Growing up makes you face your own nakedness where you get exposed to your own weaknesses for the first time.. It's in this process I found that I'm an absolutely different person at different times in different situations with different people, almost like a Schizophrenic growing up.. In one moment, I feel like Alexander the Great who would conquer the entire world, while other times I feel like a complete loser who might not be able to stand for my own belief systems. Sometimes, I feel damn strong screaming 'come what may'.. while other times I am a constant cribber...It's like I have a North pole and a South pole residing in me.. I guess, that's what Growing up means!!! Self-discovery through Self-designed experimentation tools under Self-guidance.

Sometimes I fly with super powerful wings, other times I choose to be the tortoise in the race...

Sometimes I'm rock solid, others times I'm the princess deeply affected with a pea...

Sometimes I'm red with new love blushes, other times I'm scarred by black realities...

Sometimes I'm chirpy as the sweet bird, other times I'm quiet as the midnight streets...

Sometimes life becomes larger than life, other times life seems no less than the weight of wet cotton pulled by the poor donkey...

Sometimes its butter, other times it's like grated cheese...

Sometimes I'm  the cyclist in the yellow jersey, other times I'm a recent bankrupt guy...

Sometimes my confidence is oozing all over, other times I stammer with a simple hello...

Sometimes I want to live someone else's life, other times I'm too envious of my own life...

Sometimes I act like a grown up, other times I choose to be the kid fighting his way...

Sometimes I'm the independent cat, other times I'm the attention seeking dog...

Sometimes life seems perfectly planned, other times I am the CEO of  'No man's land'...

Sometimes life is virgin vanilla with no contaminations, other times life is a Fruits sundae...

Sometimes I own the orchestra whose conductor is on leave, other times I am the Commander-in-chief of the ants regime...

Sometimes I wish to camouflage beautifully in a herd, other times I wish to be the undisturbed lovelorn...

Sometimes my life is Miss Loyal, other times its re-christened as Mr. Infidel...

It's a bitch to grow up!!!***Henanksha***

Proving Fredrick Nietzsche wrong!!!

Fredrick Nietzsche once famously quoted, "Hope in reality is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of man". Till sometime back, I used to agree to Nietzsche 's argument but I am glad that I don't feel like that today. This happened an year back, when we (me and a friend) while discussing about random things heard two big dogs fighting. In revenge, one of the big dogs caught hold of the second big dog's puppy and pounced over. It was too bad because the baby puppy started bleeding terribly. However, after a huge struggle of calling several veterinary doctors (who did not extend any support to help a street puppy), me and my friend decided to tie band-aid around the puppy on our own. Trust me, both of us were shaking as we did not even know how a puppy is held while its continuously bleeding and is in terrible pain. While we were trying to lift the brooding puppy, several people (holding ice-cream sticks) laughed at us saying that hope is a stupid thing and that the puppy would not even last for more than ten mins. But we decided to play hard with hope and we finally won. Our puppy is alive today!!! No consolation prize could have given me that feeling- a feeling in which I felt so proud of myself. I wanted to run back to those people who were mocking at us and tell them that 'Hope is good'.

Hope is good as it helps you keep trying harder and harder. In fact, stupid hope also is sometimes good as it will stop you from saying 'I quit'!!!. Don't be a quitter and at least try. My mom says - 'No is always in your pocket, then why not try for Yes'.

Dark it was but eyes could still see,

Forgetting all that existed around  me,

We sat there cheering and celebrating,

Old friendships with tinge of whining...

All was good till that happened,

Heart went berserk and eyes saddened,

We ran towards the murderous site,

To discover what is the destined plight...

We heard the puppy cry in pain,

Almost escaping the Yama's  train,

We stood there with eyes numb,

Felt helpless and inanely dumb...

Tick-tick the clock screamed,

Hypnotised we were, it seemed,

Time was running with shorter seconds,

This was my life's biggest betting...

The decision was made much before by heart,

Mind did not get to even think apart,

The puppy will be saved, has to be saved,

We began our journey to be braved...

People stood there with candy in hand,

Mocked at us saying our plan was too bland,

One of them quoted, "it will die in ten minutes",

The other said "all you can do is eat some peanuts'...

But they all were proved so wrong,

The ordeal was though tough and long,

Our puppy breathed and breathed hard,

And made us earn life's difficult greeting card...

Cheers,

Hena

300 eyes staring at me...

Just after 15 days of my joining Great Lakes Institute of Management (my MBA school), as part of a course, we were asked to deliver a 2 min speech on any topic of our choice. Well, sounds so cool naa. Being a public speaker all my life, honestly, I was not scared and thought that it would be like just another delivery. But oops, this baby was quite a huge one to deliver. For the first time in my life, I wanted to hide behind the podium and get done with the process, and you know why. Because, for the first time, I was standing in front of 150 people in one go. 300 eyes staring at me with not even a blink. It makes one feel naked. Suddenly, my wheatish complexion turned red. My legs felt that the earth was too soft. My eyes wanted to go blind.

I walked toward the podium almost as if I had been asked to commit a suicide. Never did holding the podium seemed so assuring. But finally the moment came and for ten seconds, I stopped and looked in the faces of those 150 people. It was spectacular. It felt like a huge mountain that was desperately waiting to be explored. I smiled and finally started speaking.

Courtesy an awesome friend Mayank (who is an expert on the subject), I chose to speak on 'Life and Madhushala '. Madhushala is one of the finest pieces of Hindi literature written by Sir Harivansh Rai Bacchan. I took few lines from this beautiful poem and related it to our usual mundane life.

It goes as follows :

"madiraalay jaane ko ghar se, chaltaa hae peene waalaa
kis path se jaaoon asamanjas, mein hae woh bholaabhaalaa
alag alag path batalaate sab, par maen yeh batalaataa
hun raah pakad tu eka chalaachal, paa jaa aega madhushaalaa"

It Means

(madiraalay = the house of liquor, pub) 

With the intention of going to the pub, the drink-seeker starts from home
He is confused as to which path should he choose
Different people show different paths, but I suggest only one thing
Take one path (any one) and just keep going, you will get MADHUSHAALAA.

Mr. Bacchan wants to say that, people would show you a million paths, but what is important is that YOU CHOOSE YOUR PATH. Believe it or not, if you chose one path and keep walking persistently, you would eventually reach your madhushala, your destination!

Finally, the baby was delivered and the mountain was captured, leaving me quite disappointed with all the stammers and grammatical wrong doings. I requested a friend to shoot a video and each time I look at it, the desire to get better becomes stronger. Each time I watch this video, a mixed bag of emotions is left behind.

Disclaimer : The amateurish video starts in the middle of my speech. I was shitty scared , and so please excuse me for all my stammering.

Cheers,

Hena

And I met Howard Roark...

We were sitting in Cafe Purple (with the only shade of purple to be found in my jacket!!!)  in Auroville village. The perfect weather dictated us to sit in the open section of the Cafe. For past twenty days, we (me and my friend 'Akka') are on an experimental mode i.e. to not have any food items that contain onion or garlic. Apparently, it is believed that quitting onion and garlic enhances one's ability to concentrate and meditate better (the funny part is that none of us are either meditating or doing anything material these days for which we need to concentrate hard...lols). Anyways, we were served our handsome Paneer butter masala. But in a while, we discovered that our awesome Paneer butter masala had onion and then what, the usual happened. The poor waiter was called and thrashed (oopsy sorry...) by us.

After the waiter left, we suddenly heard a voice, "Why do you guys not eat onion and garlic?". It was only in that moment that we realized that we had a silent neighbour. Our conversation with our neighbour started with food and it progressed further quickly. She was called Tanya. Later, Tanya told us that she was an artist (the super cool Tanya works 'only' when she needs money, while in all other times she loves to paint). She joined an 'Arts School' to formally learn painting but decided to drop out of school after three months as the school did not find her painting style very appealing. Her suffocation at the Arts School made her choose the way of learning art in Eklovya's style (learn from the best from a distance with full 'shiddat'!!!) That's what makes her spend more time in Auroville where she could meet artists from all over the world and learn various styles and techniques of painting 'without spending a penny'. She was blatant enough to admit that she loves stealing the styles and techniques of other artists only to mould them into Tanya's style of art.

Suddenly our 'unnoticed' neighbour became my like my star ideal, my Howard Roark ('Fountainhead' without Howard Roark is like a temple without an idol!!). Howard Roark too was a man who dropped out of Architecture School because just like Tanya's ideas, his ideas were also not acceptable to the conservatives. I am glad that I met this girl who seemed to be in love with oil paints, who humanizes the idea of red passion, whose world is so different from mine, who may easily go unnoticed but definitely not forgotten, whose frustration for amateurs claiming to be artists was right there at the surface, who gave me a new definition of 'unlearning' and then 'learning', whose idea of conviction seemed so compelling. I am glad that I had that little conversation because for the first time, it gave me a reason to believe that all our fantasy characters whom we idealise day in and day out 'do' exist in reality. This little conversation gave birth to a small (but beautiful...) desire in me - to be a character in some Fountainhead, somewhere, sometime... Inshallah!!!

This 'little' desire is strong enough to make us all work in a direction that we really idealize... Think about it!!!

Cheers,

Hena